Development of starch-based bioplastics of green plantain banana (Musa paradisiaca L.) modified with heat-moisture treatment (HMT)

Sustainable papaya plant waste and green tea residue composite films integrated with starch and gelatin for active food packaging applications

This study explores the sustainable utilization of wastes from a papaya plant (papaya peels (PP), papaya seeds (PS), leaf-stem (PL)) and dried green tea residues (GTR) for the synthesis of bioplastics. The dried GTR were individually blended with each papaya waste extract and then boiled in water to get three composite papaya plant waste-green tea supernatants. Potato starch and gelatin-based functional films were prepared by integrating each with the composite papaya waste-green tea supernatant liquid. This work introduces a dissolved organic matter (DOM) study to the field of bioplastics, with the goal of identifying the organic components and macromolecules inherent in the PW supernatants. When compared with the films prepared solely from papaya waste (PW) supernatants, PW-GTR composite supernatant films prevent UV light transmission with superior antioxidant and mechanical properties. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were utilized to characterize the starch and gelatin PW-GTR films. Owing to the exceptional antioxidant, UV barrier, and remarkable biodegradable properties of the starch/PW/GTR and gelatin/PW/GTR composite films, make them ideal for use in food packaging applications.

Comprehensive review on single and dual modification of starch: Methods, properties and applications

Starch is a natural, renewable, affordable, and easily available polymer used as gelling agents, thickeners, binders, and potential raw materials in various food products. Due to these techno-functional properties of starch, food and non-food industries are showing interest in developing starch-based food products such as films, hydrogels, starch nanoparticles, and many more. However, the application of native starch is limited due to its shortcomings. To overcome these problems, modification of starch is necessary. Various single and dual modification processes are used to improve techno-functional, morphological, and microstructural properties, film-forming capacity, and resistant starch. This review paper provides a comprehensive and critical understanding of physical, chemical, enzymatic, and dual modifications (combination of any two single modifications), the effects of parameters on modification, and their applications. The sequence of modification plays a key role in the dual modification process. All single modification methods modify the physicochemical properties, crystallinity, and emulsion properties, but some shortcomings such as lower thermal, acidic, and shear stability limit their application in industries. Dual modification has been introduced to overcome these limitations and maximize the effectiveness of single modification.

Synthesis and commercialization of bioplastics: Organic waste as a sustainable feedstock

Substituting synthetic plastics with bioplastics, primarily due to their inherent biodegradable properties, represents a highly effective strategy to address the current global issue of plastic waste accumulation in the environment. Advances in bioplastic research have led to the development of materials with improved properties, enabling their use in a wide range of applications in major commercial sectors. Bioplastics are derived from various natural sources such as plants, animals, and microorganisms. Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a biopolymer synthesized by bacteria through microbial fermentation, exhibits physicochemical and mechanical characteristics comparable to those of synthetic plastics. In response to the growing demand for these environmentally friendly plastics, researchers are actively investigating various cleaner production methods, including modification or derivatization of existing molecules for enhanced properties and new-generation applications to expand their market share in the coming decades. By 2026, the commercial manufacturing capacity of bioplastics is projected to reach 7.6 million tonnes, with Europe currently holding a significant market share of 43.5 %. Bioplastics are predominantly utilized in the packaging industry, indicating a strong focus of their application in the sector. With the anticipated rise in bioplastic waste volume over the next few decades, it is crucial to comprehend their fate in various environments to evaluate the overall environmental impact. Ensuring their complete biodegradation involves optimizing waste management strategies and appropriate disposal within these facilities. Future research efforts should prioritize exploration of their end-of-life management and toxicity assessment of degradation products. These efforts are crucial to ensure the economic viability and environmental sustainability of bioplastics as alternatives to synthetic plastics.

Investigation of the changes in gelation properties of hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate-surimi gel under different gelation-freezing treatments

BACKGROUND

Frozen storage often leads to quality deterioration of surimi-based products. At present, most of the research focuses on improving the quality of surimi products by adding cryoprotectants, and there are few studies available on preparation technology. Therefore, the effects of different gelation-freezing treatments, high temperature heating-freezing treatment (HF), low temperature heating-high temperature heating-freezing treatment (LHF) and low temperature heating-freezing-high temperature heating treatment (LFH) on the quality changes of surimi gels containing hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate (HPDSP) during frozen storage were investigated.

RESULTS

With the extension of frozen storage time, the quality of surimi gel in all groups decreased, but the quality of surimi gel with HPDSP was better than that of surimi gel without HPDSP. Compared with HF and LHF, the change range of breaking force, hardness, gumminess, whiteness and disulfide bond content of HPDSP-surimi gel treated with LFH was the least during the frozen storage. In the reheating process of LFH, HPDSP could absorb the water lost during freezing. Therefore, the change in the transverse relaxation time of HPDSP-surimi gels treated with LFH was smaller, with more immobile water and less free water and P22 of 96.81% and P23 of 0% at 16 weeks. In addition, the breaking deformation, cohesiveness, resilience, springiness and protein composition of surimi gels with and without HPDSP treated with HF, LHF and LFH did not change significantly during frozen storage.

CONCLUSION

The combination of LFH and HPDSP could effectively reduce the quality change of surimi gel during frozen storage. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Recent progress of bioplastics in their properties, standards, certifications and regulations: A review

The environmental impact associated with fossil fuel-based polymers has paved the way to explore biopolymer-based plastics, their properties, and their applications. Bioplastics are polymeric materials that are greatly interesting due to their eco-friendlier and non-toxic nature. In recent years, exploring the different sources of bioplastics and their applications has become one of the active research areas. Biopolymer-based plastics have applications in food packaging, pharmaceuticals, electronics, agricultural, automotive and cosmetic sectors. Bioplastics are considered safe, but there are several economic and legal challenges to implementing them. Hence, this review aims to i) outline the terminology associated with bioplastics, its global market, major sources, types and properties of bioplastics, ii) discuss the major bioplastic waste management and recovery options, iii) provide the major standards and certifications regarding bioplastics, iv) explore the various country-wise regulations and restrictions associated with bioplastics, and v) enumerate the various challenges and limitations associated with bioplastics and future directions. Therefore, providing adequate knowledge about various bioplastics, their properties and regulatory aspects can be of great importance in the industrialization, commercialization and globalization of bioplastics to replace petroleum-based products.

Properties Comparison of Oxidized and Heat Moisture Treated (HMT) Starch-Based Biodegradable Films

Starch-based biodegradable films have been studied for a long time. To improve starch properties and to increase film characteristics, starch is commonly modified. Amongst different types of starch modifications, oxidation and heat moisture treatment are interesting to explore. Unfortunately, review on these modifications for film application is rarely found, although these starch modifications provide interesting results regarding the starch and film properties. This paper aims to discuss the progress of research on oxidized and heat moisture-treated-starch for edible film application. In general, both HMT and oxidation modification on starch lead to an increase in film's tensile strength and Young's modulus, suggesting an improvement in film mechanical properties. The elongation, however, tends to decrease in oxidized starch-based film, hence more brittle film. Meanwhile, HMT tends to result in a more ductile film. The drawback of HMT film is its lower transparency, while the opposite is observed in oxidized films. The observation on WVP (water vapor permeability) of HMT starch-based film shows that the trend of WVP is not consistent. Similarly, an inconsistent trend of WVP is also found in oxidized starch films. This suggests that the WVP parameter is very sensitive to intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Starch source and its concentration in film, film thickness, RH (relative humidity) of film storage, oxidation method and its severity, plasticizer type and its concentration in film, and crystallinity value may partly play roles in determining film properties.

A Novel Starch from Talisia floresii Standl Seeds: Characterization of Its Physicochemical, Structural and Thermal Properties

Colok seed (Talisia floresii Standl) represents 80% of the total fruit weight and is obtained from trees that grow mainly in Yucatan Peninsula. The aim of this work was the physicochemical characterization from colok starch seeds as an alternative to conventional sources and to identify its characteristics for potential applications in different industrial sectors. Starch yield was 42.1% with low levels of lipids, ashes and fibers. The amylose content was 33.6 ± 1.15%. The gelatinization temperature was 85 ± 0.25 °C. Color analysis resulted in a starch with an intermediate luminosity, reflecting a dark color. Finally, in morphology, starch granule exhibited an average size of 18.7 μm, spherical, uniform and without fractures. Overall results demonstrated that isolated colok starch can be used in food products that require high processing temperatures, such as sauces, cookies, noodles, bread and food packages.

Effect of Various Plasticizers in Different Concentrations on Physical, Thermal, Mechanical, and Structural Properties of Wheat Starch-Based Films

Biocomposite materials are essential for environmental protection, as they have the ability of substituting synthetic plastic with natural materials. This work investigated how different plasticizers (Glycerol (G), Fructose (F), Sorbitol (S), and Urea (U)) affect the morphological, mechanical, thermal, and physical characteristics of films made of wheat starch at various concentrations (0%, 15%, 25%, and 35%). Plasticizers were added to improve the flexibility and homogeneity of the wheat starch-based bioplastic. Control film exhibited high tensile strength (38.7 MPa) with low elongation (1.9%). However, films plasticized with 35% sorbitol showed the highest elongation, which was 60.7% at break. At 35% of all plasticizers, fructose showed the highest tensile strength, with 7.6 MPa. The addition of different plasticizers shows improvement in water resistance; films plasticized with glycerol had the lowest water absorption at 35% fructose (187.4%) and also showed coherent surfaces. Glycerol, sorbitol, and urea films showed a higher mass loss compared to fructose films. Fructose showed the highest performance after the analysis of the results, with low water absorption, water content, and mass loss and with high mechanical performance at 35% of fructose. SEM images show that the addition of fructose and glycerol improves the surface homogenate, while sorbitol and urea have a less compact structure with large pores.

Corn: Its Structure, Polymer, Fiber, Composite, Properties, and Applications

Biocomposite materials have a significant function in saving the environment by replacing artificial plastic materials with natural substances. They have been enrolled in many applications, such as housing, automotive engine components, aerospace and military products, electronic and circuit board components, and oil and gas equipment. Therefore, continuous studies have been employed to improve their mechanical, thermal, physical properties. In this research, we conduct a comprehensive review about corn fiber and corn starch-based biocomposite. The results gained from previous studies were compared and discussed. Firstly, the chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties of cornstarch-based composite were discussed. Then, the effects of various types of plasticizers on the flexibility of the cornstarch-based composite were addressed. The effects of chemical treatments on the properties of biocomposite using different cross-linking agents were discussed. The corn fiber surface treatment to enhance interfacial adhesion between natural fiber and polymeric matrix also were addressed. Finally, morphological characterization, crystallinity degree, and measurement of vapor permeability, degradation, and uptake of water were discussed. The mechanical, thermal, and water resistance properties of corn starch and fibers-based biopolymers show a significant improvement through plasticizing, chemical treatment, grafting, and cross-linker agent procedures, which expands their potential applications.

The Properties, Modification, and Application of Banana Starch

Banana is a tropical fruit crop that is consumed at large, not only because of the quantity produced but also because it serves the calorific needs of millions of people. Banana is a potential source of high starch content (more than 60%). The application of starch for various purposes is dependent upon its structural, physicochemical, and functional properties. A native starch does not possess all required properties for specific use in the food product. To improve its application, starch can be modified physically, chemically, and enzymatically. Each of these modification methods provides different characteristics to the modified starch. This review aims to examine the chemical composition, granule morphology, crystallinity, pasting, thermal properties, and digestibility of banana starch, and discusses the various modifications and potential applications of banana starch in the food industry.

Progress in Starch-Based Materials for Food Packaging Applications

The food packaging sector generates large volumes of plastic waste due to the high demand for packaged products with a short shelf-life. Biopolymers such as starch-based materials are a promising alternative to non-renewable resins, offering a sustainable and environmentally friendly food packaging alternative for single-use products. This article provides a chronology of the development of starch-based materials for food packaging. Particular emphasis is placed on the challenges faced in processing these materials using conventional processing techniques for thermoplastics and other emerging techniques such as electrospinning and 3D printing. The improvement of the performance of starch-based materials by blending with other biopolymers, use of micro- and nano-sized reinforcements, and chemical modification of starch is discussed. Finally, an overview of recent developments of these materials in smart food packaging is given.